Fire destroys Sams Valley home; no one was hurt

An early-morning fire in Sams Valley destroyed a home, but the occupant made it out safely without injury.

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Posted Mar. 8, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 8, 2013 at 2:15 AM

Posted Mar. 8, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 8, 2013 at 2:15 AM

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An early-morning fire in Sams Valley destroyed a home, but the occupant made it out safely without injury.

Fire officials said they received a call for a structure fire just after 12:30 a.m. Thursday in the 11000 block of Michael Road. Jackson County Fire District No. 3 and Jackson County Fire District No. 4 out of Shady Cove responded with four engines and two water tenders, and firefighters said the home was fully involved when they arrived.

It took fire crews about 25 minutes to knock down the blaze, which had already damaged the structure beyond repair. Fire officials used defensive tactics to fight the fire, meaning they attempted to prevent the flames from spreading.

"We were mainly just protecting exposures," said Battalion Chief Myron Harvey of Fire District No. 3.

Fire officials said the fire was accidental in nature and started near a wood stove in the home. They said they are unsure exactly why the fire got out of control, but that they believe it was linked to wood stove use.

Fire officials said in a news release that the occupant told them he'd built a fire to keep pipes from freezing.

"One thing we want to remind people about is wood stove safety. Just make sure you're burning the appropriate wood and your flu's been cleaned out recently," said Fire Marshal John Patterson.